C13 French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation
C13 holds 16 named lines, all under the name French Defense. It leaves C12 (French Defense, Classical, 4. Bg5) with 4...dxe4. White, to move in that position, has 44 legal moves, the most of the 19 French Defense codes. When the reference line ends, Black is one pawn up on material. With 16 named lines it is the third-largest code of the 19 French Defense codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e6 |
| 2 | d4 | d5 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Nf6 |
| 4 | Bg5 | dxe4 |
Moves only C13 plays
Same as C12 up to 4.Bg5, then:
- 4...dxe4 The d-pawn takes the pawn on e4, covering d3 and f3, opening a line for the queen on d8.
Lines filed under C13
All 16 share the start 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 and then split two ways at Black’s move 4.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation | 4...dxe4 | 8 | Black +1 |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Normal Variation | 4...Be7 | 8 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Richter Attack | 4...Be7 5.Bxf6 | 9 | White +3 |
| French Defense: Classical Variation | 4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 | 10 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Tartakower Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Ne4 | 10 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Vistaneckis Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Ng8 | 10 | |
| French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack | 4...Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Breyer Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 c5 | 12 | |
| French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Maróczy Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 a6 | 12 | |
| French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Spielmann Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 O-O | 12 | Black castled |
| French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Teichmann Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 f6 | 12 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation, Morozevich Line | 4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6 | 12 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Frankfurt Variation | 4...Be7 5.e5 Ng8 6.Be3 b6 | 12 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Richter Attack | 4...Be7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.e5 Be7 7.Qg4 | 13 | |
| French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Albin-Chatard Gambit | 4...Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 | 14 | Black +1 |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation, Main Line | 4...dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Nf3 O-O | 14 | Black castled |
The road to C13
- 1.e4 … 3.Nc3five earlier stops: B00, C00, C10
- 3...Nf6C11 Classical Variation
- 4.Bg5C12 4. Bg5
- 4...dxe4C13
The position after 4...dxe4
White has brought out the knight on c3 and bishop on g5; Black the knight on f6. White has a half-open e-file; Black a half-open d-file. White could capture with Bxf6, Nxe4.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| A83 | Dutch Defense: Staunton Gambit | four squares: e6, d7, e7, f7 |
| C11 | French Defense: Classical Variation | four squares: c1, e4, d5, g5 |
| D01 | Richter-Veresov Attack | five squares: e2, e4, d5, e6, e7 |
| D50 | Queen’s Gambit Declined: Modern Variation | five squares: c2, e2, c4, e4, d5 |
| C05 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation | six squares: c1, d2, c3, e4, d5, g5 |
| C10 | French Defense: Paulsen Variation | six squares: c1, e4, d5, g5, f6, g8 |
| B14 | Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack | seven squares: c1, c2, c4, e4, d5, g5, c7 |